Songs of the season... One of the wonderful things about living in the Tropics is that our feathered friends are with us all year long. Crows. Mynas. Owls. Ko-els. Sparrows. Bulbul. (Unfortunately, some of the kitty-kids are avid hunters; just this past weekend, Budak Biru caught one of the latter--a bulbul (merbah in Bahasa Melayu)--and brought it home. We took it away from him, but the poor thing was already dead. Merbah sing beautifully, so its particularly sad when one of them dies.) And since the house is surrounded by trees, there is always a constant, background chorus in the air. Lovely! In honour of National Bird Day in the United States--and since were still in the Christmas season--a traditional Catalan carol, Carol of the Birds. I first heard Joan Baezs version of this on her holiday release from the 60s--Noel--but this version is much more medieval sounding. Raw and edgy. _____ Carol of the Birds Whence comes this rush of wings afar, Following straight the Noel star? Birds from the woods in wondrous flight, Bethlehem seek this Holy Night. Tell us, ye birds, why come ye here, Into this stable, poor and drear? Hastning we seek the newborn King, And all our sweetest music bring. Hark how the Greenfinch bears his part, Philomel, too, with tender heart, Chants from her leafy dark retreat, Re, mi, fa, sol, in accents sweet. Angels and shepherds, birds o the sky, Come where the Son of God doth lie; Christ on earth with man doth dwell, Join in the shout Noel, Noel. https://youtube/watch?v=q5f9EMl3iko
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 22:54:48 +0000
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